When emotions are high, intellect is low.

Your emotions are often correct responses, unless you’re suffering from limited perceptions. We all have limited and defective perceptions. Emotions are based on perceptions, and our perceptions are always incomplete. Moreover, a strong emotion can totally distort the senses, further depriving us of accurate perception and action. As far as our perceptions are incomplete, they are also less accurate. How will our actions match the circumstance if we are blinded by feelings?

Now, if opinions arise from emotions, we shouldn’t be too surprised when our opinions cannot withstand new evidence. If you find yourself claiming “faith” to defend your opinions, you have truly run out of excuses. At some point you must experience things for yourself; but remember that you can be fooled by illusions. So be kind to others when they have beliefs you find silly. Yes, perhaps they are totally fooled by an illusion, but you have your own illusions to overcome. This should not stop you from hunting for the truth as aggressively as you can.

I was confronted recently by a loved one who cited the sacrifices that ancestors had made, as though those sacrifices justified some truly reprehensible behavior. By this logic, suicide bombers must certainly be justified due to how much they have given up! Bandwagon fallacy ahoy! When I pointed out this fallacy, the subject was changed. This kind of emotional response can not lead us to grasping truth. Fortunately, there are abundant, entertaining resources on learning logic. If nothing else, they are fantastic ammunition to use at family reunions and holidays when your relatives roll out the same tired, irrational arguments. Get the right equipment!